The present invention relates generally to remote controllers and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for an adaptive remote controller.
Currently, there are many remote controllers that allow a user to send control signals from a remote controller device to a target device such as a television. With increasing use of electronic equipment such as audio and video devices, there is a corresponding increase in the use of remote controllers for accessing the electronic equipment.
Conventional remote controllers are designed to be used while the user can see the device being controlled. In particular, all the feedback about the success or failure of operations is typically provided by the target device rather than through the remote controller. For example, a user pushes a power button on a TV remote control and the TV turns on. The reason that the feedback has generally been from the target device itself is because the technology used in these remote controllers has been infrared technology. In order for infrared technology to be functional, the user must be close to the target device. Particularly, there must be a clear line of sight between the infrared remote controller and the target device.
New technology such as radio frequency (RF) allows remote controllers to function when they are not physically proximate to a target device. These have been incorporated in remote controllers. Presently, it is possible to have remote controllers that work from many miles away from the target device. In such cases, it is necessary to provide feedback via the remote controller rather than by the target device. However, it is not always necessary to have a remote controller that provides feedback in the case when the user is within a viewing proximity of the target device. In such cases, the user can receive feedback from the target device itself. This is beneficial since valuable resources such as screen/button acreage is saved. Thus, it is desirable to have a remote controller that provides automatic feedback only when a user cannot receive feedback from the target device.
Accordingly, the present invention is a method and apparatus for an adaptive remote controller. The remote controller comprises a user control input, a detector, and a user interface. The user control input is configured to receive user input and issue at least one control signal to a target device. The detector is configured to detect if the remote controller is within a target device feedback range of the target device. If the remote controller is out of the target device feedback range, the user interface provides feedback that the control signal was successfully sent to and executed by the target device.